Ralph Clark (died 1660) was an English tanner, notable for being the first

Mayor of Chesterfield The office of Mayor of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, has existed since 1598 when Elizabeth I of England, Queen Elizabeth issued a charter to the town, granting the town the right to have a mayor. The first holder of this position was Ralph Clarke. ...

. Clark came from the prominent Clark family of Chesterfield and was elected to the post of Mayor on 21 April, 1598 following the Elizabethan charter issued that same year, which granted the town the right to elect a mayor. In 1641 when

Poll tax A poll tax, also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources. ''Poll'' is an archaic term for "head" or "top of the head". The sen ...

was paid, Ralph paid the highest amount in the town. At the time of his death in 1660, he was living in Cutthorpe, outside of Chesterfield.

References

People from Chesterfield, Derbyshire Mayors of Chesterfield 1660 deaths Tanners {{England-mayor-stub